Traveling addressing machine



' ANov. 4, 1941.

H. P. ELLIOTT 2,261,876

TRAVELING ADDRESSING MACHINE Filed Apxi-l 27, 1938 Mam H. P. ELLIOTT TRAVELING ADDRESSING MACHINE Nov. 4, 1941.

4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 27, 1938- Nov. 4, 1941. H. ELLlO'l 'T 2,261,876

TRAVELING ADDRESSING MACHINE Filed April 27, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 JO f, :8 60 22 I'M P Nov. 4, 1941. H. P. ELLIOTT- TRAVELING ADDRESSING MACHINE Filed April 27, 1938 137019;? ior Y Patented Nov. 4, 1941 UNITED snares TENT OFFICE 16 Claims. (Cl. 101-48) This invention relates to addressing machines A yet further object of the invention is the prowhich employ printing devices or plates, as vision of an improved and simplified addressing stencils, containing the address printing charmachine. a v acters and especially printing devices having prO- Fig. l is a perspective view of filing and advision for the. entry thereon of desired data as dressing apparatus associated with the present the dates and the amounts of orders and utilized invention. I I as part of a bookkeeping system. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the traveling address- In certain types of businesses, as a mail order ing machine. business, for instance, the address printing de- Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the machine of vices or stencils have in addition to the address Fig. 2. p printing characters a surface adapted to receive Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the addressing various entries and particularly the date of a mechanism taken along line 44 of Fig. 2. customers order and the amount of the order. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the addressing An object of the present invention is the promechanism taken along line 5--5 of Fig. 4. vision of an addressing machine by which the 5 Fig. 6 is a plan" view ofthe table at .the advarious printing devices or stencils can be utilized dressing position and illustrating particularly the conveniently to print the addresses on various stencil inking mechanism. departmental forms on which various parts of Fig. 7 is a view of the stencil inking mechanism the total order may be subsequently entered and generally similar to Fig. 4 but illustrating paralso to address shipping tags and the like. ticularly the engaged and disengaged positions of A further object of the invention is the provithe inking roller arm and its operating arm. sion of a series of stencil files with an addressing Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional detail of the inkmachine and carriage on which the operator is ing-roller taken along line 88 of Fig. 7. mounted movable in. front and lengthwise of the Fig. 9 is a plan detail of the tableat the adfil'es to bring the addressing machine and the dressing position andillustrating particularly the operator in front of any selected file so that a seentry guide frame. i lected stencil thereof can be removed and utilized Fig. 10 is a View similar to Fig. 9 but with the in the addressing machine. With this arrangeguide frame in position overlying the stencil and ment theoperator can receive from a distributor a illustrating the manner of use of the frame. number of orders from customers whose names Y9 Fig. 11 .is' a detail front elevationv of the ink are contained on stencils within the files under carrying roll of Fig. 4. the operatives direct control. She can then move Fig. 12 is a detail. side elevation of the roll of her machine up and down the line of files and Fig. 11. p select the various stencils bearing names cor're- Fig. 13 is a sectional detail taken along line sponding to the names of the orders. She places l.3l-3 of Fig. 11. p eachv stencil in the addressing machine and prints The addressing machine of the present inventhe address on as many order forms as are necestion, see Figs. 1; 2 and 3, comprises the frame sary, enters the appropriate parts of the total structure 20 supporting a fiat top table or bed order upon the proper forms, addresses the neces- 22 having the addressing elements generally insary shipping labels, and enters the date and the & dicated by the numeral 24. The frame structotal. amount of the order upon the face of the ture 20 includes the side walls 28 and 28 and a stencil, returns the stencil to its original position stool 30 for the operative, the stool being conin the files and moves the machine and herself nected rigidly to the frame structure by a conalong the track for the next stencil, thereby P necting member 32. Thefront edge of the side greatly facilitating and lightening her work and wall 28is cut away to allow easy access to the expediting the progress of the order through the stool 30. plant. This method is also an object of the in- The addressing mechanism is operated manuvention. ally by the raising and lowering of a handle 34 Another object of the invention is the provision located outside the side wall .28.

of an addressing machine having an apertured guide frame. that is movable into a position overlying the entry part of the printing plate and so arranged that the various entries written thereon by the operators are confined to the space allotted to the entries.

The frame structure including the stool is provided with a series of peripherally grooved wheels 36 which roll uponparallel rails 38 located in front of and extended lengthwise of aseries of file drawers or trays 40 containinga collection of printing devices as stencils, the drawers all facing and being close to the rails and being arranged in a long row parallel with the rails.

The table 22 is provided with a box 42 containing a series of pigeon holes or compartments for various forms adapted to receive the addresses of the stencils.

The operative sitting upon the stool 30 can move herself and the carriage in either direction along the rails 38 by pushing on the floor with her feet to gain access to any desired file drawer and to remove a selected printing device therefrom without leaving the stool. She places the printing device in the addressing mechanism and makes as many printing operations as are necessary on the separate desired forms, makes an entry upon the printing device and then returns the device to its position in the file drawer.

The printing device especially adapted for use in connection with the present invention is a stencil illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10, and comprises a rectangular frame 44 having a window containing an address bearing stencil sheet 46 and aruled surface 48 below the window adapted to receive desired data as the date and amount of an order.

The table 22 is provided with a depression 50 adjacent its front edge in which is located a pair of bars 52 having confronting grooves that constitute a support for the stencil.

The addressing mechanism includes a platen 54 located above the address bearing portion of the stencil and above the table and integral with the forward end of a vertically reciprocable platen arm 56, the rear end of which extends through an opening of the table and is fixed to a shaft 58 pivotally mounted in bearings 60 depending below the table. The arm 56 is integral with a roller arm 62 which depends below the shaft 58 and carries a roller 64 which is held in engagement with the side cam face 66 of a cam segment 68 by a spring 10. The cam segment is fixed to an oscillable shaft I2 journalled in bearings 14 depending beneath the table 22. An operating arm I6 is fixed to said shaft and extends through a slot I8, see Fig. 3, of the side wall 28 and terminates in the aforesaid handle 34. Thus by raising and lowering the handle the platen is caused to be reciprocated toward and away from the stencil therebeneath. The cam face 66 is provided with a dwell portion 80 which causes the platen to be held in its lowermost position during the printing of the address.

A printing roll 82, see also Fig. 8, is disposed beneath the stencil and platen and is adapted to be reciprocated lengthwise of and in contact with the stencil sheet of the stencil to force ink on the surface of the roll through the address characters-of the stencil and onto arecord sheet located above the stencil and under the platen. The roll 82 is loosely mounted on a shaft 84 and journalled in and extended through the forks 86 of an operating arm 88 and has rollers 90 on the endsof said shaft which roll on the ledges 92 of bars 94 that are L-shaped in cross-section and are secured by screws 96 to the underside of the table 22.

The ledges 92 are cross-wise of the stencil and are so located as to cause the ink roll 82 to roll on and in pressure engagement with the stencil for the greater part of the stroke of the roll. The bars 94 at one end thereof are provided with downwardly inclined slots 98 intov which the shaft rollers 90 move at the end of the stroke of the roll andthereby lower the roll away from the stencil and upon the surface of an ink drum I00.

Said ink drum I00 is fixed to a shaft I02 journalled in bearings I04 secured to the bars 94 by the aforesaid screws 96 and depending below said bars. The drum is oscillated by means including a pinion gear I06 fixed to said shaft I02 and adapted to mesh with a reciprocating rack bar I08 which is held in engagement with the pinion gear by a clip IIO which overlies the top and sides of the rack bar and is loosely pivoted on the shaft I02. The rack bar I08 is pivoted on a screw II2 fixed to the upper end of an arm II4 that is fixed at its lower end to the aforesaid shaft I2 that is reciprocated by the handle 34. Thus as the shaft is reciprocated the ink drum I00 is consequently oscillated throughout an arc suflicient to obtain proper distribution of ink on the printing roll 82, the oscillation being substantially a complete revolution.

Said rack bar is provided withv a tooth-free end portion I09 which confronts the pinion gear in the unoperated position of the parts. The ink roll is thus free from positive connection with the rack and can be rotated manually by a crank handle II5 for the purpose, for instance, of distributing ink on the surface of the drum at the start of a days work.

The operating arm 88 for the printing roll 82 is provided at its free end with a longitudinally elongated slot II6 therein which is terminated at the end confronting the printing roller in a downwardly directed notch II8. A pin or screw I20 is loosely located in said slot and is carried by the upper end of an arm I 22 fixed to the aforesaid shaft I2. The arm 88 is provided with a downward extension I24 between which and the upper end of the arm I22 a tensile spring I26 is connected, the main purpose of the spring being to tend to raise the arm 88 so as to cause the pin I20 to enter the notch II8 when both are in confronting relation.

By reason of the slot II6 the ink drum I00 can be rotated in engagement with the printing roll 82 before the printing roll starts to move away from the drum on a printing stroke and hence the periphery of the printing drum is caused to be supplied with ink. 7

When the movement of the arm I22 is such as to enter the pin I20 thereof in the lateral notch II8 further movement of the'arm I22 causes the printing roll to advance to the left and effect a printing operation. The spring I26 holds the pin in the notch I I8 during reversemovement of the arm I22 thereby to return the ink roll to its initial position. In the latter part of such stationarily supported movement a roller I28 disposed above the right hand end of the arm 88 is caused to come in contact with the inclined surface I30 of said arm, see Fig. '7, and to depress said arm, thereby to effect the movement of the pin I20 out of the slot H8 and thereby to disconnect the arms 88 and I22.

The ink drum I00 is supplied with ink by means of an absorbent, as felt, ink containing roll I32, see Figs. 4, 11, 12 and 13. Said roll I32 is rotatably secured between the upper ends of the arms of a U-shaped supporting frame I34 journalled loosely upon a shaft I36 and having a handle I38 by which the roller may be moved into and out of engagement with the periphery of the ink drum. The shaft has fixed theretoa bifurcated plate I 40 between the furcations I42 of which is located a pin I44 fixed to one of the frame arms. An overcenter spring I46 extends between said pin I I 4 and a projection I48 of the plate I40 and is so arranged as to hold the ink roll definitely either in contact with the periphery of the ink drum I08 or out of contactof ink the r011 in its supporting frame is removed from the arm I56 by loosening the clamping nut I58 and the surface of the ink roll is passed over the face of an ink pad I65, see Fig. 3, secured to the inner face of the vertical wall 26 of the supporting structure and then replaced in position.

The addressing mechanism as thus described can be operated rapidly upon any stencil so as to print the address thereof upon as many forms as are desired.

The entry of the order or other data on the entry space 48 of the stencil is facilitated by the use of a guide frame I62, see Figs. 9 and 10. Said frame comprises a rectangular plate formed of thin sheet metal having a series of rectangular apertures I64 formed therein separated by narrow partition strips I66 which are adapted to overlie selected separating lines between vertical columns in the entry space of the stencil. Said plate I62 is provided with ears I68 which are journalled on a pin I'IO carried by a bracket "2 fixed to the upper part of the platen 54. A light spring I16 encircles said pin and acts. upon said plate I62 in a direction to maintain said plate in a raised or out-of-use position overlying the platen supporting arm, as illustrated in Fig. 5, but to permit said plate to be swung readily forwardly and downwardly to overlie the entry portion 48 of the stencil, as illustrated in Fig. 10, so as to enable the operative to make an entry I18 in an appropriate column of the stencil, the partition strips I66 preventing the entry from running into an adjacent column. The spring I16 automatically returns the frame to its inoperative position.

The entry H8 is or can be made with a pencil which preferably is a component part of the mechanism. As herein shown the pencil I80 is secured removably to a clip I82 fixed to the end of a flexible cord I84 which extends through a tube I86 upstanding above the table 22 and has a weight I88, see Fig. 5, at its other end located beneath the table. Thus the weight normally holds the pencil in an out-of-use position against the end of the tube I86 where it is convenient to grasp it and also restores the pencil to the same position when the operative releases her grasp thereon without the necessity for the operative to reposition the pencil.

I claim:

1. In an addressing machine, a stencil holder, a platen on one side of said holder, a printing roll on the other side of said holder, an ink drum in contact with said printing roll in the unoperated position thereof, and mechanism for imparting rotary movement to said ink drum and movement of said printing roll away from said drum and into cooperative relation with a stencil in said holder, said mechanism having a quick acting connection with said inking drum and a delayed action connection with said printing roll whereby said printing roll is caused to be inked prior to its advance toward the stencil.

2. In an addressing machine, a stencil holder, a platen. on one side of said holder, a printing roll on the other side of said holder, an ink drum in contact with said printing roll in the unoperated position thereof, a reciprocatory operating mechanism, means for connecting said printing roll with said mechanism for moving said roll into and out of cooperative relation with the stencil, said mechanismincluding a reciprocating arm, a rack pivoted to said arm and a gear fixed to said ink drum engaged with said rack for oscillating said drum.

3. In an addressing machine, a stencil holder, a platen on one side of said holder, a printing roll on the other side of said holder, an ink drum in contact with said printing roll in the unoperated position thereof, a reciprocatory operating mechanism, means for connecting said printing roll with said mechanism for moving said roll into and out of cooperative relation with the stencil, said mechanism including a reciprocating arm, a rack pivoted to said arm and a gear fixed to said ink drum engaged with said rack for oscillating said drum, and a guide member slidably embracing said rack and having a pivotal support coaxial with said drum.

4. In an addressing machine, a stencil holder, a platen on one side of said holder, a printing roll on the other side of said holder, an ink drum in contact with said printing roll in the unoperated position thereof, a reciprocatory operating mechanism, means for connecting said printing roll with said mechanism for moving said roll into and out of cooperative relation with the stencil, said mechanism including a reciprocating arm, a rack pivoted to said arm and a gear fixed to said ink drum engaged with said rack for oscillating said drum, and means for operatively disengaging said rack and gear for permitting independent manual rotation of said drum.

5. In an addressing machine, a stencil holder, a platen on one side of said holder, a printing roll on the other side of said holder, an ink drum in contact with saidprinting roll in the unoperated position thereof, a reciprocatory operating mechanism, means for connecting said printing roll with said mechanism for moving said rollinto and out of cooperative relation with the stencil, said mechanism including a reciprocating arm;

and a rack pivoted to said arm and a gear fixedto said ink drum engaged with said rack for oscillating said drum, said rack having a toothfree part which confronts said gear for permitting manual rotation of said drum.

6. In an addressing machine, a stencil holder, at platen on one side of said holder, a printing roll on the other side of said holder, an ink drum in contact with said roll in an unoperated position thereof, mechanism for reciprocating said roll into and out of cooperative relation with a stencil in said holder and for imparting intermittent rotational movement to said drum including a reciprocating arm, a roll carrying arm, and a lost motion connection between said arms.

'7, In an addressing machine, a stencil holder, a platen on one side of said holder, a printing roll on the other side of said holder, means for guiding said printing roll for movement toward and away from a stencil in said holder and for movement cross-wise of and in contact with the stencil, an ink drum in contact with said print roll in an unoperated position thereof, reciprocating mechanism for imparting rotational movement to said ink drum and reciprocatory movement to said printing roll only following the start of .rotation of said drum, including a roll carrying arm having a longitudinally directed slot therein and a reciprocating operating arm having a part disposed in and movable lengthwise of said slot.

8. In an addressing machine, a stencil holder, a platen on one side of said holder, a printing roll on the other side of said holder, means for guiding said printing roll for movement toward and away from a stencil in said holder and for movement crosswise of and in contact with the stencil, an ink drum in contact with said print roll in an unoperated position thereof, reciprocating mechanism for imparting rotational movement to said ink drum and reciprocatory movement to said printing roll only following the start of rotation of said drum, including a roll carrying arm having a longitudinally directed slot therein and a reciprocating operating arm having a part disposed in and movable lengthwise of said slot, said slot having an offset hook extension, and means for locating said reciprocating arm releasably in said hook extension.

9. In an addressing machine, a stencil holder, a platen on one side of said holder, a printing roll on the other side of said holder, means for guiding said printing roll for movement toward and away from a stencil in said holder and for movement cross wise of and in. contact with the stencil, an ink drum in contact with said print roll in an unoperated position thereof, recipro eating mechanism for imparting rotational movement to said ink drum and reciprocatory movement to said printing roll only following the start of rotation of said drum, including a roll carrying arm having a longitudinally directed slot therein and a reciprocating operating arm having a part disposed in and movable lengthwise of said slot, said slot having an offset hook extension, means for locating said reciprocating arm releasably in said hook extension, and means responsive to reciprocatory movement of said roll carrying arm for operatively disengaging said arms.

10. In an addressing machine, a stencil holder, a platen on one side of said holder, a printing roll on the other side of said holder, an ink drum engageable with said printing roll to apply ink thereto, a reciprocatory operating member for said printing r011, means connecting said arm and roll for moving said roll into and out of cooperative relation with a stencil in said holder, means including said ink drum limiting movement of said printing roll in one direction, and means forming a part of said connection between said printing roll and reciprocating member for permitting further movement of said reciprocating member in the same direction.

11. In an addressing machine, a stencil holder, a platen on one side of said holder, a printing roll on the other side of said holder, a guideway along which said printing roll is reciprocable, a reciprocating operating arm, a roll carrying arm having a releasable latch connection with said reciprocating arm, means responsive to a movement of said roll carrying arm in one direction for disengaging said latch connection, and means responsive to movement of said reciprocating arm in the opposite direction for effecting engagement of said latch connection.

12. In an addressing machine the combination of a holder for a record receiving stencil, printing elements operative upon the stencil, and an apertured guide member arranged to overlie the record-receiving part of the stencil when the stencil is in cooperative relation with the printing elements, the apertures constituting means defining the record-receiving surfaces of the stencil.

13. In an addressing machine the combination of a holder for a record receiving stencil, printing elements operative upon the stencil, and an apertured guide member arranged to overlie the record-receiving part of the stencil, when the stencil is in cooperative relation with the printing elements, the apertures constituting means defining the record-receiving surfaces of the stencil, said member having means for supporting it for movement into and away from stencil confronting position.

14. In an addressing machine the combination of a holder for a...record receiving stencil, printing elements operative upon the stencil, and an apertured guide member arranged to overlie the record-receiving part of the stencil when the stencil is in cooperative relation with the printing elements, the apertures constituting means defining the record-receiving surfaces of the stencil, said member having means for supporting it for movement into and away from stencil confronting position, and means biasing said member for movement away from the stencil.

15. In an addressing machine the combination of a holder for a record receiving stencil, printing elements movable toward and away from the stencil on opposite sides thereof, an aperture guide plate carried by one of said printing elements when the stencil is in cooperative relation with the printing elements and movable therewith and arranged to overlie the record receiving part of the stencil, the apertures of said guide plate constituting means defining the record-receiving surfaces of the stencil.

16. In an addressing machine the combination of a holder for a record receiving stencil, printing elements movable toward and away from the stencil on opposite sides thereof, an apertured guide plate carried by one of said printing elements when the stencil is in cooperative relation with the printing element and movable therewith and arranged to overlie the record receiving part of the stencil, the apertures of said guide plate constituting means defining the record-receiving surfaces of the stencil, and means biasing said plate for movement on the aforesaid printing element for movement away from the stencil.

HARMON P. ELLIOTT. 

